WrsrHnoRLANo HSToRICAL SocmrY

PngstnENT's MEss,qcrIt's mid winter and you might

think Keillor House would be

in hibernation, but you would

be wrong, as witness the

following.

Special Events

As predicted in the last issue,

the Victorian Christmas

Dinner was once again a great

success. Both evenings were

sold out, the food was as

delicious as ever and everyone

enjoyed the musical

ministrations of t}e barber

shop quartet, a feature of this

event since its beginning.

Our special thanks to

crooners Gerald Cormier,

Lloyd Folkins, Boyd Clory

and Sandy Forgeron, as well

as to soloist Leonette Nelson

and organist Wendell

Anderson. Like the Haunted

House Tour, the Victorian

KTIIT-OR HOIJSE MUSEUM-SpPCIAL EVENTS

Candlelight &Spaghetti

Supper Apri l 21. 4:30-

7:00 pm. $14.00 & FamilY

Rate

Celebrate spring with

candlelight and spaghetti,

music, salad and desserts.

Takeout or home delivery

in Dorchester available.

Cal I379-5620.

Mother's DayTea &

Putting on the GlitzMay 5. 1:00 -2:00 pm and

3:00 - 4 :00 pm. $8 .00

Enjoy tea, sandwiches and

cakes. Shop for "Glitz -

New toYou" jewellery.

Tickets: Darlene 379-2439 or Alice 379-6520.

Museums Across the

Marsh June 2-3, 10:00-

3:00 $4.00 (Family $ 10.00)

Keillor House, St. James,Monro House, Campbell

Carriage Factory, Fort

Beausejour, Boultenhouse,

Cumberland Co. Museum,

NS Highlanders Museum

CaII 536-2547 ar 37 9 -6633 .

NEWSLETTERVorurra,E 47 IssuE # 1 Fnsnuenv, 2012 ISBN32081 3

Christmas Dinner is the

work of many willing hands.

In this issue we make special

mention of them in the

section 'Saluting Our

Volunteers'.

The Victorian Dinner was

no sooner over than we

hosted two bus tours,

organized of course by

Alice. This time, JeanetteGlew's delicious seafood

chowder competed with

Alice's squash soup for the

culinary attention of our

satisfied guests.

The last event of our season

is the New Year's Levee,

which takes place

immediately after the polar

dip on Palmer's Pond. This

year it was graced by the

attendance of Senator

Carolyn Steward-Olson and

Tantramar MLA Mike

Olscamp, as well as more

than a hundred other eager

celebrants. As always, the

frozen 'polar bears' greatly

appreciated Ritchie's spicy

chili and Alice's hearty

chicken soup, as did the'chickens' who didn't take

the plunge. The chickens in

Alice's soup had no

comment. Of course the

punch and desserts were not

neglected, either. The New

Year's Levee is an annual

event jointly sponsored by

the Westmorland Historical

Society and the Village of

Dorchester, and is another

example of the important

role we play in this

community.

Properties

We mentioned in the last

issue that plans for

expan&ng the facilities of

Keillor House and repairing

the back wall were on hold,

but there has been an

encouraging development

since then. ACOA (Atlantic

Canada Opportunities

Agency) has asked us to

submit our proposal for a

Concept Design Study as

soon as possible-which

will have been done by the

time you read this, thanks to

the &ligent efforts of Cole

Morison. Clearly, we have

garnered a lot of support in

the right places. Of course,

this is only the first stage.

The initial funding, if we get

it, would be for a full

architectural study- a major

undertaking in itself. When

that is completed, we will

be in an excellent position

to apply for funding for the

PRlsrRrrnc DORCIJLSTER'sHrsroRY RNn OUR SToRIES

DOMESTIC TrxTu-r PRoDUCfIoNIN EARLY NEW BRUNSWICK

OUR VOLUNTEERs 1.2

PAGE 2 NEWSLETTER

PnrsInENT'S MrSS,qCr (CONTINLIED FROM PAGT 1)

main project. It wili be t}e work of years, but if it

succeeds, and it just mal, it will give Keillor House a

whole new lease on life.

Plans are also underfoot for the Payzant & Card Building.

The leaking roof has been repaired and a more

permanent fix is coming in the spring. Wc are also

looking for ways to build another apartment in the

building in order to increase our revenue. Once again,

we hope to draw on help from our friends at the

Westmorland Institute who continue to be a wonderful

resource for us.

Graydon Milton Library and Genealogy Centre

We are very grateful to Thercsa Simpson for

volunteering to undertake genealogical research uPon

request. She started doing this last summer and has

already helped a number of people to trace their

Dorchester roots-she averages about two requests a

month. Essentially, she supplies information from our

genealogical library that they cannot get online or from

the materials they already have. Recently, for example,

she was able to email a scanned copy of an ancestral will

to a satisfied customer. To engage her services, please

call her at 379-6790 or email her at teearleg@),ahoo.ca

Outreach

It is important as well as pleasant to be working in

common with our sister museums and other

organizations dedicated to tourism in the region. On

June 2nd and 3d we will again be part of the 'Muscums

Across the Marsh' initiative. On those days you can

purchase an individual pass for $4 or a family pass for

g 10 and visit any or all of the participating museums:

Keillor House and St. James Textiie Museum in

Dorchester, Boultenhouse Heritage Centre and Campbcll

Carriage Factory in Sackville, Monro Heritage Museum in

Port Elgin, Fcrt Beaus6jour/Fort Cumberland in Aulac,

and Cumberland County Museum in Amherst There will

be special activities at each, and those who manage to

take in ali the museums will have a chance to win aprize.

Once again let me exhort you to makc a special point of

visiting our local muscums at cvery opportunity-and

not just the ones mentioned here. Monument LeFebvre

in Memramcook, Lutz Mountain Meeting House and

Thomas Williams House in Moncton, Steeves House in

Hillsborougfi, and the Albert County Museum at Hopewell

Cape are all nearby and all well worth muitiple visits'

Remember, it is hard to expect governments to support

museums if we don't support them ourselves- and regular

visitation is one of the best ways to do this.

Another way we have been keeping in touch with other

organizations is by inviting some of their representatives

to address our Annual General Meeting. Last year Darrell

Butler of King's Landing gave a fascinating presentation on

the furniture making traditions of south eastern New

Brunswick and explained what they can tell us about the

social history of the region. Darrell has now agreed to do

two follow up events. On Tuesday June 5s he will

accompany museum staff and Board members on a tour of

Keillor House and St. James Textile Museum, examining,

photographing and commcnting on the artifacts. On

Monday June 25d'he will give a public presentation on the

significance of our collections for the material history of

New Brunswick. Participants will be invited to bring

items they think may be of historical interest, and Darrell

will be glad to comment on them.

Bernie's Garden

Speaking of outreach, in this issue we offer a long overdue

article in appreciation of Bernie Melanson, a popular

science and math teacher at Ecole Mathieu-Martin who for

the last fifteen years or more has lovingly tended the

period garden around Keillor House. We are also

planning a special event with him this summer. The

details have yet to be worked out, but it wiil revolve

around a tour of the house and garden with a local garcien

club, or clubs, and a lunch featuring bread baked in the

Keillor House bake ovcn and Bernie's own delicious soupe

d'Atd.

Finally, I note that Inge t":: is home ovcr a long

Christmas break from hcr studies at the Fashion Institute

of Tcchnology at State University of New York where she

has been accumulating some wonderfui hands-on

experiences working in museums, including the

Guggenheim. While hcre , she is continuing her excellent

work on our costume collection. Many thanks and best

wishes, Inge!

Greg Partridge

Volumr 47 Issur # I Pncp 3

BtnNrt's GnRorN

Visitors to Keillor House often stop to admire the lovely period flower garden nrrrning along the front wall and around t}re

Dairy Room. They may even be charmed to leam tlat most of the plants would have been familiar to the Keillors. But do

they lnow how tlis beautiful addition to our museum carne to be?

It is all started about fifteen years ago and is

the result of the generosity, dedication and

knowledge of Bernie Melanson, a teacher at

Mathieu-Martin High School who has

developed a speciai relationship to Keillor

House. Actually, it would be more accurate to

say that it all started with Bernie's

grandmother, Edith LeBlanc. Born in College

Bridge in 1884, Edith worked at Keiilor House

for a short time as a maid when she was about

fifteen. This would date her service either to

the last year of Mary Keillor's life (d. 1899) or

the first year or so that Sheriff McQueen and

his wife, Edessa Chapman McQueen, lived in

the house. After leaving Keillor House she

worked at Rocklyn Manor until her marriage

to Bernie's grandfather. Bernie remembers

going with her on long Sunday afternoon

drives during which she would fondly point

Betnie at Woh

out the two stone houses in Dorchester where she had worked as a girl and apparendy stored up some happy mernories- It

was here that she learned to make lemon meringue pie.---aomething quite foreign and exotic to an Acadian, and it became one

ofher favourites.

After tleir marriage, Bernie's grandparcnts settled in Moncton where Mr- Melaason worked for the railroad. Both ofthem

loved gardening, as did his grandparents on his mother's side. They had a farm and raised a family ofseventeen kids, yet

somehow still found timc to create and tend a beautifi.rl flower garden- a 'grande alle6' extending some 500 feet fiom t]re

front of their house to the road, full ofblooms and lined with apple trees on botl side. Bernie still vividly remembers toddling

tho*h it at about age tlree or four, carefirlly examining every flower, curious as to its exact formation and delighted with its

colour and scent. He comes by his 'green thumb' honesdy. Not only his four grandparents, but also his parents were (and in

the latter case still are) passionate gardeners. Needless to say, Bernie also has his own extensive garden at his comfortable

home in Dieppe.

Bernie's passion for flowers, particularly roses, was further stirred by trips to Europe. Among t}le many famous gardens he

visited t}ere, two in particular stand out in his mindr the Roseraie de L'Haj; near Paris' the ffrst ever dedicated exclusively to

roses, featuring more than 3000 varieties, and the Parc de Malmaison where Napoleon's wife, Empress Jos6phine, had a

famous rosc garden from which somc original specimens still remain. Both places made a deep impression on him.

One line day during the early 1990s when some relatrves werc visiting from Ontario, Bernie's European experiences

intersected with his grandmother's Dorc,hester memories in a way most fortunate for us. While on a drive through the

Memramcook Valley to show them where the grandparents had grown up he decided to visit Keillor House, something he had

never done before, and an idea was born. Of course everyone loved ttre house, but Bernie couldn't help being somewhat

disappointed in the few flowers ard shrubs t}at languished there at the time. Arr historic house, he thought, should have an

authentic garden to set it off, and what better place to help make that happen than Keillor House where his beloved

NnvsletruRPncr 4

Benxtg's GARDEN

grandmother had worked? Some time afterwards he

Irked at the museum whether they needed any help with

the garden, and Ieft his name' Not iong after that he got

".ull from Alice, who then as now was ever on the

prowl for fresh recruits. She invited him to lunch at the'Bell

Irrn (he still remembers the seafood chowder and

biscuits)-and the rest, as they say, is history'

when he started the project, the front wall of Keillor

House was in such a dangerous state of disrepair that no

one was allowed near it, and so it was the area around

the Dairy Room and kitchen that received his first

attentions. Once the stecl supports were up, he began

the front garden-and had it nicely established when it

hadtob"-d,,gupagainfortherebuildingofthewall in

2005-06. Th" re* plantings flourished for a while, but

as they gfew higher the Dorchester winds became a

problem and so this fall, ever the perfectionist, Bernie

iook out quite a number of them' This spring the garden

will reappear in its third incarnation, planted with

shorter and stouter varieties better able to withstand the

buffeting of the breezes.

To make his period garden as authentic as possible'

Bernie consulted lists of historic plants compiled by

King's Landing and Fortress Louisbourg' Not all of the

onei available today are exactly the same as they were in

the 19s century, but by experimenting with various

possibilities he is able to achieve a good aPPro-x]mation of

what an uPPer class ornamentai garden would have

Iooked like *hen the two generations of Kcillors were

living in the housc. In fact, until recentiy there was one

,p".i-"r, that had actually survived from that time, a red

p"oty said to have been planted by Mary Keilior' wife of

ThomasKeil lorwhohadinheritedthepropertyfromhis

father, John-the one who built Keillor House. It had to

be transplanted when the steel bcams went up to support

thc collapsing wall. It survived this ordeal but

unfortunateiy not the next one when the lvall was

rebuiit. It is not completely impossible that someone

took a cutting from it in ycars gone by, and if so, it

would be wonderful to bring it back home' If anyone

knows of such a cutting, please let us know!

IaskedBern ie i fhehadanyfavour i tesamongtheplants

at Keiilor House and he replied with a fascinating story

about the Apothecary Rose, which, appropriately

enough, is entangled in legend and history with both an

gneliih and a French aspect' It is a very early variet)

going back at least to ancient Persia where its original white

fololation was said to have been changed to dark red by the

blood of an overly amourous nightingale who clasped it too

tightty to its breast. From the mysterious East it was

Ui""glrt into me&eval Europe by returning Crusaders who

k r"* it as the Rose of Damascus. According to the French

version, which is more prosaic but probably more

historically accurate, the Crusader was Count Thibault IV of

Champagne, an otherwise thoroughly disagreeable

"huru"1"r, who brought it to the city of Provins near Paris

where it was cultivated commercially for its medicinal

qualities and hence became known as the Apothecary Rose'

ol. Ror. of Provins. Well into the 19'h century it was still

used in various concoctions to cure indigestion, sore throats,

skin rashes, eye maladies- and even hangovers (here it was

mixed with wine, which no doubt increased its

effectiveness). Women found that the petals would

rejuvenate the skin and restore youth. If nothing else, it

smells good, and so was also grown for perfume and dried

for potpourri.

The English version is more romantic (imagine that- the

English u"i"g more romantic than the French!) but also

.uth", darker. According to it, the rose made its way by a

circuitous route to the court of King Henry II (who also

happcncd to be Duke of Normandy and lord over many

other territories in France, so maybe the French win on the

romanticism score after all) where it somehow arrived in its

original white coloration. A good king but a bad husband,

Henty had a mistress named Rosamond whom he

affectionately called his 'Rosa mundi'- his 'Rose of the

world,- thereby showing off his Latin. The queen was not

amused (although she had not exactly been a model wife,

either) and so ,h" .on.o.ted a deadly potion disguised with

the scented oii of the Apothecary Rose and presented it to

dear Rosamond, perhaps as a beauty aid' It must have

worked, as Rosamund never got any older after using it'

After her sudden death, a new rose sprouted outside the

castle with both red and white stripes- as the Rosa mundi does

to this day.

The Apothecary Rose has another English connection,

although this story is a bit more convoluted' During the

dputtl. struggles and outright civil wars of the fifteenth

century pop"lu.ly known as the 'wars of the Roses" the

yorkisi kir.g, (so called because they were descended from

the first O"k" of York) took as their heraldic badge a white

rose, while their opponents, the Lancastrians, (descended

Vot-utvte 47 Issur # 1 Pncr 5

BrnNn's GRRoTN

Iiom the Iirst Dule of lamcaster) adopted a red one-tie Apothecary. The wars ended with the victory of Henry Tudor,

claimant to the Lancastrian heritage, over the villainous Richard III who had usurPed t}e tlrone from his urderage

nephew and, according to vicious rumour, did him in as well, along wit} his little brother just for good measure.

Henry Iirst consolidatedts chim by pledging to marry their sister, Elizabeth of York, tlus uniting the two dynasties and

b;ngng much desired peace to the realm. After t}te Battle of Bosworth ('1485) in which Nchard was killed, Henry, now

Ki.rg-Hinry VII, *as as good as his wo.d. To s),rnbolize the urrion of tle two houses of lancaster and york, he came up

*iti. g."ut eR rtutra by superimposing a white rose of York on a larger red rose of Larcaster to create the Tudor Rose'

the plant badge of England to this day.

The Wescnorland Historical Society owes a hemendous debt of gratitude to Bernie for t}is beautifirl enhancement of

Keillor House-and also to the students of Mathieu-Martin who regularly help him to maintain it. We also must thank

district scolaire Oi for allowing Bernie to use the greenhouse at Mathieu-Martin in order to start the seedlings for the annuals

each year. Without it, tle cost which Bernie bears himself, and says that he is happy to do so, would be prohibitive- For

example, he plants more tlan a tiousand marigolds alone. So, to Bernie and all the good people at Mathieu-Martin who

help him each year in this worthy project we offer a most heartfelt merci beauaup!Cene Goodrich

Preserving Dotchester's Histot! and Our Stories

The mandate of Keillor House and the Graydon Milton

Library LGenealogy Centre is to preserve and document

Dorchester's rich history and make it accessible through

publications, exhibits and newsletters- The museum is

asking you for any materials you have that will expand

our collection of information on Dorchester and on

families from our area.

Every year, families Ifom all over North America senc

us inquiries and come to Keillor House to trace their

roots. Last year a researchcr was even looking for

evidence that H<ludini once performed at a local hall in

Dorchester!

Art McReady passes awql...

Another of Dorchester's links r'r'idr thc past was

broken \ ,ith the death of Art McReady on January

15th at the age of 102. Bcsides his many ycars of

service with Canadian Car in Amhcrst and Enamel&

Heating in Sackville, Art lcd a long and interesting

life as a farmer and fishcrman at Johnson's Mills on

Dorchester Cape. Ed Bou'es did a piece on him in

the May 2009 issue of the Newsletter.

We would welcome your donation of letters, diaries, books,

pictures, storics or memorabilia-anythitg that might aid

someone in researching the history of t}e area or their family

roots.

If you wish to keep the originals, we will coPy and return them

at no cost to you to ensure their preservation for future

generations.

Please help us by 'digging out' your memorabiiia or artifacts

from the past and sharing them with us.

If you have any questions or would like further information,

please contact us.

Judy Hickman Morison, MembershiP Secretary

Westmorland Historical Socicty

Ph 37 9 -668 2 morc@ropcrs. com

Teresa Simpson, Genealogical Research

Westmorland Historical SocietY

keiilorhouse@,nb. aibn. com

www.keillorhousemuseum. com

Pnce 6 NEWSLETTER

DOuTSTIC TTXTILE PRODLICTION IN E,q,NIY NPW BNUXSWICK

TheJollowing is a modtjed version oJ a lecture Gene Goodrich delivered last April to a 'seniors' Cot)rse', one oJ a series on 'Histotic

Dorchester.' It is based in large part on the PhD thesis oJ Dr. Judith Rygiel, who conducted a very interesting sessionJor the 'Needle and

Thread for the Bed' mini-course given in the summer oJ 2010'

The St. James Textile Museum is devoted to the domestic arts

primarily of the 19d century. Besides a rePresentative sampling of

carpenter and blacksmith tools, we are fortunate in having an

excellent collection of the various devices used in the production of

home made woolen and linen fabrics, including a loom dating from

about 1800. Known as the Beachkirk Collection, it was given to the

Westmorland Historical Society in 1985 by Pamela Black, a scion of

one of this area's most prominent families. Most of the items come

from southeastern New Brunswick and constitute one of the most

important collections of its kind in the Maritimes.

These are artifacts from a world very different from our own, and

one that was not without its attractions, in spite of the hardships it

sometimes inflicted. One major difference between those days and

these is the degrec to which people were self-su-fficient. If most of us

living today were deprived of our supermarkets and shopping malls,

stocked with items from every corner of the globe, we would soon

starve or freeze in the dark.

LoonJron ca. 1800 St. Jones Textile lluseun

Not so the farming, Iishing and lumbering families of early New Brunswi&, It would be an exaggeration to say t}at tley

*ere completely self-suIficient. Given the province's easy access to the sea and its well developed commerce, people had no

dllficulty obtainlng imported manufactued goods, as well as a few luxuries such as chocolate. Even many staple items like

-o1"r.", u.rd *.n-o;rr" from abroad. But, to a much larger degree than today, they produced most of their owrr basic food,

clothing and shelter.

It is tie clothing, or more precisely, the textiles, that is the focus here. Most everyone knows tlat_rural families of earlier

generations raisld their own meat and vegetables, made their own bread (as well as the jams and jellies to go on it), grew t}eir

iwn apples etc. What is less well known is that, besides rnaking their own clothes, many of them also spun tle wool and flax

urrd *ou" th. cloth. Besides making enough cloth for their own use, those with special weaving skills could do custom work

for otf-rers and even sell or barter their surplus production to local merchants, thus earning extra income for their families.

In New Bruruwick, these practices continued much longer than in the United States and Ontario, Here the tradition of

homespua cloth-making flourished liom the time of the Iirst European setdement down to the end of the 19d century-and

lingered on in isolated pockets as late as the 1930s. One reason for this *as that cotton and woolen mills came late to the

pro'vince and there w"r",r"u". rr".y -*y of them, so they couldn't meet all the demand. Another reason wa-s that hand

wouen woolen clotlr, as well as hand-lsritted woolen socks and mittens, were much tougher and warmer tlan tle factory

variery-and t.herefore much preferred by men who worked outdoors, especially in winter, which was a lot longer and colder

than ii is today. It was common, rather than exceptional, for snow to arrive in early November and linger on till May, wbile

Janua.y and February temperatures often dipped into the minus tlfrties, New Brrurswicl had many outdoor workers relative

io its total population because the economy largely depended on farming, ffshing, ship building, and lumbering, all of which

required a copious supply of warm clothes. A dozen pair of socks and several pairs of mittens was standard issue for a

lumberjack w-orhng in a winter camp. Starting in the mid 1850s, the building of the railroads became another source of

d"-oni. Euel uftJr factory-made cloth became widely available during the latter balf of the centr.rry, many people used it

only to make their 'sunday-go-to-meeting' finery while continuing to use homespua for their work ware'

Vor-uri,rE 47 Issun # I Pncr 7

Doivcsrrc Trxrrr_r PnoouclroN rN ERRLy Nrw BRuNswrcr

At times, wearing homespua became a point ofpride, even among tie elite. The Planter arld Loyalist settlers Iiom colonialAmerica brought with them a Yankee uadition of frugality arld self-su.fficiency, and the farmers among them often regardedstore bought cloth as a sign of bad management, too easily leading to tlat worst of economic sins- dJt. Dudng th; g40sand early 1850s New Brunswick suffered a deep depression, thought by some to be caused by too many imports and notenough exports. For a while, it became a sign of pat-iotism to wear homespun in order to auoi l

"*u".rrug*"e *d help the

loca.l economy. Some members ofthe legislature even made it a point to wear homespun suits, preferabiy made ofwoolfrom their olyn sheep,

The amouat ofhome weaving actually inaeased until well after 1850. Ofcourse, this partly reflected the growth inpopulation, but it was also actively encouraged by the agricultural societies -,-often dominated by the social"elite who weretrying to encourage better farming methods and, in good Victorian fashion, to inculcate virtue into the population. Fairswere organized and prizes given, not only for the bestlivestock and garden produce, but also for homespun textilesof various ftinds-in order, in the words of one promoter,

(.to

excite and reward the industry of the countrv's femalepopulation."

This reminds us that much of this work was done by womenand girls.

It was not always thus. Women had always been spinncrs,particularly girls and single women, so much so, in fact, thatthe word 'spinster',

which originally just meant someone whospins, took on the mcaning of an unmarried woman. But inEurope weaving on a big upright loom was men's work. Themarvelous brocades and tapestries that can still be admired inthe museums of Europe were thc work of professional male\ /eavers, highly trained in a long apprenticcship. In spite ofdiscouragement by the British government, which wanted thecolonies to import most of their textiles from the mothercountry, a weaving trade dominated by professional male

Spinning Wheel and Winder in St. James Textile Museumweavers also develoPcd in colonial America. After the expulsion of the Acadians, and particularly after the AmericanRevolution, a number of them made their way to the Maritimes, where they were joined not long afterwards by othersfrom Scotland and Ireland. There were no textile mills in their new homeland, but some found work as custom weavers,often going from house to house and boarding with their customers while they wove their store of lincn or yarn into cloth.Somc of the better qualified oncs set up dedicated weaving shops from where they did fancy \\,ork, such as elaborutecoveriets and shawls, for affluent patrons.

Professional or semi-professional male weavers continued to practice their trade, although in diminishing numbers,tlEoughout the 19d century. But most weavers were women who worked mainly in tleir o*r, ho-",

"rid p.oduccd mainly

for-their or'rtr families, although some also did custom work for ot}ers, or sold cloth to the local stores along with their eggs

Td lutter. This was a departure from earlier times, and particularly {iom Europear practic". Th" ."a"or, .,ia" t}r"t, d,,rirr!

the ffrst few decadcs after arriving in an undeveloped land, much ofit heavily foiestei, the priorities for men and boys weiechopping down_trces and building house-s, bams and, in many places, boats--to say nothing of the regular farm work whicheveryone took for granted as a matter ofsurvival. As a result, weavers who tumed to fa.ming, as mairy of thern did, tendedto pass their weaving skills on to tl.reir daughters rather ttran to their sons. Within a couple of-generations, the idea tookhold that domestic weaving was a female occupation-and a bit of a sissy thing for boys io do.-

Of course, weaving is only onc of the many steps in cloth-making. First, the wool or flax has to be spun into t-l-o.ead and

NrwslEtmRPncr 8

DoT,ITSTIC TTxILE PRoDT]CTION IN EARLY NEW BRLINSWICK

Bettie at Work

before that, in the case of wool, the sheep have to be shorn

and the fleece thoroughly washed, combed and carded. After

being woven, the cloth was normally fulled, essentially by

,ouki.rg it in a foul solution and pounding the daylights out of

it with a club, or in some cases even with the naked feet'

This was in order to thicken it and make it shed water'

Flax was even more work. It had to be pulled from the

ground by hand, dried in the sun or over a fire, turned and

,pr"ud several times, then have the seeds combed out of it'

After that was done, it had to be wetted down in order to

soften it, dried again, then broken on a frax break and finally,scutched,, ,swingled' and pounded to remove the last bit of

crud-and all this before spinning, ict alone weaving, could

even begin.

Although some of these processes, especially wool carding

and flax breaking, were very hard work, a lot of it, too, was

done by women. However, they often relieved some of the drudgery by working togetler with liiends and neighbours in

what tlle Loyalist settlers called i(iolics'----a combination of a work bee and a social gathering with ulterior motives.

Writing in i828, u B.itith ni.itor to New Brunswick described them tlis way:

,,The tun ,folic' is peculiat, I believe, to Americo in the dlferent senses in which it is used lJa good wife has o luontity oJ wool otflax to

spin, ,he iir;tes as nany oJ het neighbows as the house mn well accommodate; some b ng thetu spinning wheels' othet their cads; they

iemain o11 day ot worh'oid, 4u Lir5iog on obundance oJ tea, etthet go home or remain to danceJor some Part oJ the night: this is

called a spiniingfrobr. Th"j or" on th"i" occ ioas a, *ill a, ot otherJrolics, ioined by the young men of the settlement, and in this woJ

Carding Tools St. James Textile Museum

many oJ their love matches are made up."

Men also organized frolics, but their ulterior motive was a

little different. For example, when a farmer needed some

woods cut down, he bought a few gallons of rum and had a'chopping froiic'.

In the case of wool working, at least, a better way of

relieving the drudgery was to take it to a carding and fulling

mill run by a water wheel. These were fairly common in

New Brunswick from an early date, usually built by Loyalists

who had known them in their homeland. Almost every town

in Colonial America had one by the late 18s century' Amos

Botsford, a leading Loyalist from Connecticut, built one at

Westcock in 18 12. It could also saw timber and grind grain.

A numbcr of years before that-I don't know exactly when,

but soon after 1800, Gideon Palmer, another prominent

Loyalist, built a carding and fulting mill on what is still called

palmer's Pond in Dorchester. Palmcr's Pond later became

the site of a ship yard.

A card.ing mill gets the wool ready for spinning by means of a

revolvingdrum studded with fine r.r,ires that align the fibres.

It could curd i.t an hour what a pair of human hands could do

Dourslc TExrnE PnoDUCTToN rx E,qnry Nrw BmrNSwrcK

eager to oemonstr

It was the carding and fulling miils that made it possible ror rlhome weavers to"produce sig'nificant quantiti". of *ool"r,-- I

i:ilr;iltfi.;:fffi":t",Hl#f:r,"'H#d'" mtotal. Of course, virtually every one h?d

i spinning wheel. Mechanical Hand Carder St. James Textile Museum

Linen was another story. The ffrst Anglophone settlers certainly spun some flax, but it was maidy?or -"ta"g A" *optlreads for weaving wool. But when machine-spun cotton warp thread came to be imported, beginning in the 1840s, daxspiruring waned among Anglophones and most Iinen in New Brunswick came to be produced by Acadiaru, who, of course, alsospun and wove woolen textiles. Among the Acadians, both spiruring and weaving, as well as much ofthe prelimnarypreparation, was done by the women. There seems to have been few, if any, professional male wdavers. One of tfre Britishmilitary officers involved in the Deportation observed t}at Acadian women were very indusfious and particularly adept atcarding, spinning and weaving ofwool, flax and hemp. Another British observer noted in 1828 that "tire indust-y of ti.i.wives arrd daughters is wonderfirl; they are at work during tlrc spring and harvest on their farms; tley cook and wash, maketJreir husbaads' as well as their own clothes; they spin, knit and weave, and are scarcely idle during their lives."

Acadian textile production was mainly for home use, arld Acadian families depended even more upon it than didAnglollrones, as they were generally poorer, and in any case not much interested in new fangled ideas. Besides beinggenerally unable to afford store bought cloth, there was another redson for tleir continuing to make their own textiles andgarrnents: Acadians clung ffercely to their religious, linguistic and cultural identiry, and n; small part of this was their

distinctive dress which set them apart right down to theend of the 19s century. They were particularly noted fortheir love of bright colours, especially reds and blues.Although it was homespun and relatively simple inpattern, their workmanship----{r more accurately their'workuromanship',

was very good, and in the latter half ofthe 19e century there was apparently a ready market forAcadian iinen, most of it, Judith Rygiel informs us,produced in the Memramcook Valley. During earlysummer, when the fairy flax was in flower, pictlcallyevery Acadian farm must have graced the lush greenvalley with large splashes of beautiful bright blue.

Not all the textiles produced in the home were forstrictly practical purposes. This was more or less thecase during the earlier period of the province's history,but after about 1850 a new ideal of womanhood andwomen's role in the family began to emerge. It firsttook root among the middle classes and then trickled

Cailing Mil| Interior

Volunnr 47 Issur # I Pncr 9

PAGE 10 NEWSLETTER

DOUTSTIC Trxrlm PnoDUCTIoN Ix E,qnIy Nrw BnuNSWICK

down the social ladder through the influence of farm journals,mainly American, sections of which were reprinted in someNew Brunswick newspapers. Although primarily dedicatedto encouraSng better agricultural methods, they alwaysincluded a section on practical tips, as well as moral advicefor the ladies. Instead of just being a workhorse, the idealfarmer's wife was now supposed to develop her artistictalents and create an aesthetically pleasing, as well as acomfortable, home for her family. Of course, she stili hadto cook and sew, wash and clean, Iook after the children, tJrechickens, the garden-all t}e things ordinary women did inthose days, and many continued to spin and weave, even ifsome considered it a drudgery inappropriate for the new styiewoman. But there was also an increasing emphasis ondecorative work such as coverlets, doilies, cushions, fancyneedlework and embroidery of all kinds-things that gaveaesthetic pleasure as well as the satisfaction of being a goodhomemaker.

Whether it was for decorative or practical purposes, hometextile production was a very important part of the rural NewBrunswick economy right into tJre early twentieth century. Itwas also an integral part of family life, and one of the manyways in which women played their part in creating a worldwhose remnants are now a valued part of our own heritage.

Oun SpEcrRr- EvrNrs RElnren To Trxrrlgs

INNEn JounNrvs ExIERTENCE - ,,NEEDLE & THREADFOR THE BED''

WeoxesoAys DURTNG THE sEASoN. 10:30 AM To 2:30 prvr

Fse $48.00Surrounded by antique quilts, learn about the 19s centuryskills needed to make bedding. Try the age-old practices ofcarding, spinning and 'throwing' the weaving shuttle. Takeyour own quilt block home..and enjoy lunch served by theopen hearth.

Reserv ations Requir ed.

(505) 379-6633 www.keillorhousemuseum.com.

Knrnon Housr Musrurvr Qulrr SnrE

Browse the museum and shop throughout the year! Enjoythe exhibit of new quilts for sale nestled into ourmuseum--on consignment from local quilters for thesummer season.

(506 ) 379-6633 www.keillorhousemuseum.com.

CANADA DAY, July lst - "Ilandiwork Bee"- Dorchester10:00 PM To 3:00 PM

Textile artists! Bring your latest project to the CommunityHail, 4955 Main Street Dorchester. Enjoy the morningsocializing and the afternoon tapping your toes totraditional Maritime music. Activities include: rughooking, felting, knitting, quilting, spinning and weaving.Bring your projects for display. Visitors welcome!

Judy Morison (506) 379-6682

HERITAGE FAIR July 2l- KEILLOR HOUSE AND ST. JAMESTEXTILE MUSEUMS 1 1:00 AM To 3:00 pM

Weaving demonstrations. Try traditional methods of

carding and spinning -start with wool and leave with

yarn. Shop for special products from artisans gathered for

the Sandpiper Festiva}.

(506) 379-6633 www.keiliorhousemuseum.com"

Voluur 47 Issur # I PAGE 11

NOTES FNOHZI M,qNLPNE'S SCN,IPSOOK

In the course oJher researches into the history oJthe HickmanJamily, Marlene Hickman has collected many interesting items pertaininBto Dorchester and the surrounding area. Several oJ these have appeared in previous issues oJ the Newsletter, and we intend to bring youmoreJrom time to time. Thanksfor sharing them with us, Marlene. TheJollowing items illustrate some aspects oJtravel and leisureduring the latter half oJ the 1 9th century. Notice thefriendly co-operation between the religious denominations in the last one.

Ausust 22.1878 - Chionecto Post

A Grand Excursion to Haiifax takes place on Tuesday next 27'h inst. The train leaves Hopewell at 4 AM, passes Sackvilleat 8:30 reaches Halifax at 2 PM and returning leaves Halifax at 7:30. The return fare from Sackville is g2.10. So cheap anexcursion is seldom offered to the people and those desirous of enjoying a pleasant day and seeing the sights over the ICRand viewing thit ancient capital of Nova Scotia will not soon have a cheaper or more favorable opportunity of doing so.Every arrangement has been made to prevent over crowding and to promote the pleasure of the occasion.

March 19.1898 - The Spectator

The Ferry Boat is now plying between Cole's Point and Albert Co. Passengers can be driven from t}e railway station tothe Ferry by the Hotel Livery or from the ferry to the Windsor [Hotel] by the ferryman's team as the case may be.

Arrr i l 5.1877 - Chisnecto Post

A Bonnet Hop took place at Robb's Hall, Dorchester on Tuesday night. Nearly two hundred hoppers were present andhopping was kept up with great spirit until daylight began to hop in through the window panes. I A Bonnet Hop is defined inthe NewJoundland Dictionary oJ English as"spree or social at the community hall." ?resumably, it has the same meaning here.j

Ausust 15. 1878 - Chisnecto Post

The Bazaar at Dorchester on Tucsday last held by the ladies of Trinity Church netted $275.00.

The Pic Nic at Dorchester on the 28'h promises to be one of the most agreeable events of the year. A band will discoursesweet music during the afternoon and evening. A platform for terpsichorean pcrformers [dancersfwill be erected. The

Programme of the afternoon's performances include Scotch games, foot and hurdles races. Mcdals are being struck for thewinners. Prizes will be offered in Ladics Archery. The Dramatic CIub plays at Robb's Hall in the evening: "Faint HeartNever Won a Fair Lady" and "Limerick Boy". Return tickcts on the trains are expected.The committee having the affair in hand intend making it in every way a most agreeable and enjoyablc affair. The proceedsare in aid of the new Catholic Church in Dorchester and u'hile a committee of Catholic gentlemen are managing the affair,the people of other denominations are cordially invited to participatc.The most liberal arrangements are being made in providing rcfreshments - all thc delicacies and fruits of the season will bespread. A very large attendance is confidently anticipated.

W F;:"*'; T' !.:,!'z*j:"'A X:: P;*e T:'3'!-l 1i li'T i)": 'ti;.i {.: .!,"i., '/:, t."t {.,) { ri,'|." "'t'

Donations, MembershiPs and

Newsletter Submissions to :

+97+ Main Street, Dorchcster, NB

E+L 221

Keillor House Museum

Tei.: (506)379-6633

Fax: (506)379-3+18

E-mail : keillorhousc@nb - aibn. com

www.keillorhousemuseum. com

Museum Hours 2012

June 9 to Scpt. 1 5

Tuesday to SaturdaY

10 :00 a .m . t o 5 :00 P .m .

Sunday

Annual Fces 2012

(lncludes Newsletter)

Individual: $ 10.00

Family: $ 15.00

Sustaining: $25.00

Board of Directors

President Grcg PartridgcPast Presidenr GcnE GoodrichVice-Presidenr Cole MorisonSecretary Kathy BowserTreasufer Bob Bowser

Mary Balser Cheryl FeindelNorina Boudrcau Shirlby OliverEddie Bowes Theresa SimPsonGcnie Coates Susan SPcnccMargarct Eaton Nancy Vogan

PnrsrRvlNc THE Pnsr FoR THE Fulune

The Westmorland Historical Socicty is ? non.profit charitable

orsanization foundcd in 1955 with the mandate to collect, preserve

u"? "r"-ote

the rich cultural heritage of Wcstmorland County" NB'

F;; foura;cades the WHS has worke? with local partncrs to.agply this

mandate in a unique enftePreneutial way by cncouragi!'g s:lJJiyyncing

historic sires attractirig visitois from across filorth America. Thc historic

Si; pi"*. Lundry ?o,rr", the Bell Inn, -and- the P3yzanl & Card

b.rildirre, contain apartmcnts or businesses that help off-iet the costs of

pr. sctnfttg t}csc hi itoric buildings

The Societv's stellar museums-*ls Keil lor House Museum (1813)

fr."rirg-,hd Cr"Va." Milton Library and Gcncalogical Ccntrc- and

tl-t" Stl James 'Tcxtilc

Museurn,' contain rcmlrkablc collections

attracting'genealogists,,esearcheri and visitors from across North

America.

How to become a WHS Member?

Contact IudV Morison, our Membership Sccretary, at 4974 Main

Strcct . D'otc6cstcr , NB, E+L221. Tel : (506) 379-6682'

1 2:00 noon to

SuurtNG Oun OursrANDlNG VoLUNTEERS

We always like to thank our man! volunteets

Jor their unstinting devotion to the WHS and

its work in the communitSr' In this Issue, u'e

pay special *ibute rc those who made the

Victorian Christmas Dinnets such an

outstanding success.

Servers & Cleaners:

Under Alice's capable lcadership, an

enthusiastic group was assembled to

undertake these tasks for the Victorian

Dinners.

Deana Crossman, Anne Hendrikson,

Dakato Maclean, WendY Hunter,

Warrcn Folkins, Donna Folkins, Kathy

Bowser, Bob Bowscr, Colc Morison,

Judy Morison, Susan Spcnce, Gcnc

Goodrich, Tanya Folkins, Heather

Fiilmorc, Thcresa Simpson, Roland

Mclssac, Mary Balser, George Balser,

Joannc Corcy, Linda VanZullcn, Donna

Kcivcr, Ritchic Folkins & Alice Folkins.

Set-up:

Alicc Folkins and boys, Mike, Stcphcn

and Chuck. This included everything

from bringing the Christmas ornaments

down from the attic to setting up the

tabies and folding the napkins.

We want to thank the Westmorland

Institution for allowing these volunteers

to help us with thc set-uPs.

Decorations:

Joanne Corey and Mauricc Gautreau

pcrformed thcir usual magic.

For a numbcr of ycars theY have

provided spectacular backdrops for our

Christmas cvents. In threc days of hard

work this ycar, thcy oncc again

transformed Keillor House into a festive

scene of light and coiour.

Again we ffir special thanks to Alice

FolkinsJor all the contributions she makes

tu this organization. They are litetally

too numerous to list here, but we see them

at everyl turn.

What would we do without her?

The Executive